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Book Review: Panic

Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Panic by Lauren Oliver* is a novel about a game. A game called Panic. High school seniors from a small town all compete in a game to win thousands of dollars. The idea of the game is simple. There are several challenges, each one more terrifying than the last. To win? You need to be the last one standing.

I've wanted to read this book since it came out because how amazing does it sound? I have to admit that it took me a little while to get into it but in the end I was so hooked I couldn't put it down. The novel is told in alternating narratives between Heather and Dodge. Heather is competing so that she can run away with her younger sister when she wins the money as her mother is a drug addict. Dodge's sister was left in a wheelchair when she played Panic. He wants money to pay for her physical therapy. He's also out for revenge.

I really liked the writing style and the book was so fast paced that it was really hard to put down. The descriptions in the challenges were all very tense. When reading it at times my heart was pounding! I really liked the way that the story played out and I thought that it was a really satisfying ending. I gave it 4/5 stars on GoodReads because I found it very slow at the beginning but loved the rest of it. Really recommend!

One thing that really bugged me though. There are some captive tigers mentioned in this novel and one of the characters wonders if they miss Africa. Tigers don't come from Africa. How did no one pick up on this before it was published?!